Soviet Chabadnik was deputy of Workers' Party of Israel Mapai
Quote from Timothy Fitzpatrick on October 6, 2023, 22:35When he remembers those days when he studied in Lubavitch, he associates them with the most beautiful and most interesting periods of his youth and even many subsequent years.
Translation: D. Belyaev
Source: Beit Moshiach magazineMordechai Lazar studied for a short time at Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim in Lubavitch. He later became a deputy from the Mapai party (Party of Labor), however, his nostalgia for Lubavitch pushed him to dedicate one of the chapters of his memoirs to the Rebbe RASHAB and the yeshiva in Lubavitch. short biography
Mordechai Lazar studied at the yeshiva in Kremenchug, into which he was accepted by Hasid and Rabbi Yitzchak-Yoel Rafaelovich, an outstanding Chabad rabbi. Thanks to him, Lazar became increasingly interested in Chabad until he went to Lubavitch to study at Tomchei Tmimim.
After admission, he began studying at the yeshiva branch in Shchedrin, and later studied for several months in Lubavitch. From there he went on to find his purpose in life.
He subsequently made aliyah and lived in Haifa, where he was engaged in the leather and shoe business. He subsequently became a member of the left wing of the Mapai party and was active in this movement.
He wrote his memoirs more than fifty years after the events described:
I remembered Rebbe RASHAB well enough to tell a little about him. He had reddish hair, his head and beard burned with fire [when he delivered a Hasidic tractate]. He was of average height, broad-shouldered. His speeches were striking in that it seemed that they were formulated in his deep thoughts at the moment when he uttered them. He started out quietly, so that even those standing next to him had difficulty hearing him, but then his voice became stronger and everyone could hear him. He always spoke briefly and was always serious.
He says that sometimes the Rebbe joked, and gives one story as an illustration:
It is said that rabbinical representatives were invited to a meeting with Stolypin (1862-1911), who was the Minister of the Interior, to ask him to repeal certain laws directed against the Jews. Among them were Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk, a world-famous Torah scholar, the Lubavitcher Rebbe [RASHAB], and a famous government-appointed rabbi, Vladimir Tiomkin of Elizavetgrad (now Kirovograd), who was not a great Torah scholar, but was one of the most famous speakers in Jewish world, as well as an ardent Zionist.
It was on the eve of Passover, and rumors began to spread that Jews were allegedly adding the blood of Christians to the matzah. Each of these three representatives wanted to take this opportunity to explain to the Minister and convince him that there was absolutely no truth in these false accusations.
The meeting took place in St. Petersburg and lasted half an hour. Stolypin wanted to end the meeting as quickly as possible. He shook hands with Temkin, then with Rebbe RASHAB, and apparently paid no attention to Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. When all three left Stolypin, the Rebbe wanted to console him for having been treated so rudely, and jokingly said: “Brisker Rav, do not be upset that the minister also did not support your hand. Passover is approaching and the Haggadah says directly: “Davar aher - byad chazaka shtayim,” i.e. when "davar acher" (in the Talmudic era, the euphemism "davar acher" (literally "another thing" was often used instead of the word "pig") stretches out his strong hand, he does it only for two, not for three. " Everyone laughed and continued own way.
Rebbe RASHAB... was constantly immersed in the study of the hidden part of the Torah. Dedicated to his duty, he prepared for a speech on Friday evening or corresponded with the leaders of the Lubavitcher communities, as well as with those who were not Chabad Hasidim, regarding various community issues. He appealed to them with a request to influence those Jews who were directly connected with the enlightened pagans and the king's ministers, so that the king would lift the restrictions or soften the evil decrees against us.
Ordinary people loved him. Rebbe RASHAB did not care about such insignificant things as decorating a house with expensive silver and gold items, or a carriage and horses, or expensive clothes, silk robes, or creating the image of a Jewish king, as some leaders of the Hasidic movements did in Poland, Galicia and the south Russia, especially in later years.
Rebbe RASHAB was fully involved in important matters, in the dissemination of the teachings of Chabad, in the expansion of houses of learning and yeshivas, the crown of which was the yeshiva in Lubavitch, which produced experts and Jews who had knowledge in the open ("nigle") and hidden ("nistar") parts Torah. He sent rabbis, rezniks, Torah readers, chazanim and teachers to the communities who had a positive reputation in the Jewish world. Those whom the Rebbe sent were fully aware of their role in life and responsibility to their communities.
All of them carried out an important mission, perhaps the most important in communal life in Russia, at a time when difficulties multiplied every day. The main source of hope was faith in the future of the people and the speedy onset of Liberation. Lubavitcher boys and men had an outstanding love for the Jewish people, decency, dignified behavior, good manners, dedication to the spread of the Torah... And it is not surprising that from this family comes the President of Israel, Mr. Zalman Shazar, also a descendant of the Schneerson line, in which the Torah, the Torah, were surprisingly harmoniously combined. the greatness and nobility of a true Jew, and of which we are all proud.
"The True Schneerson"
Concluding his description of the Rebbe RASHAB, Lazar writes that the Rebbe RASHAB had an only son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson (Rebbe RAYATZ), who in turn had daughters. According to him, after the holy soul of the Rebbe of RAYATZ left this world, “the leadership of Chabad passed to his relative, a very talented man, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, although he has neither sons nor daughters. I met him in New York, in Brooklyn. He is a pleasant person with true Schneerson manners. He continues to develop the Chabad network with great success... in accordance with the approach and traditions of the Chabad movement.”
Amazing idyll
Let's go back to Mr. Lazar's youth, to what prompted him to enroll in the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva. When he was in Kremenchug, he often heard talk about the famous yeshivas in Lithuania and Reizin, such as Volozhin and Telšiai. However, among the more God-fearing guys, among those who never said prayers in a hurry and never skipped a dip in the mikvah before prayer, they constantly praised the Lubavitch Yeshiva, where, in their opinion, they combined the revealed and hidden parts of the Torah, and it produced impeccable, complete of people. They said that in any yeshiva where the book of Tanya and the hidden part of the Torah are not taught, the students comprehend only half of the Torah.
And in general, how could a Torah scholar get enough of the Talmud and the works of Jewish teachers of the law, knowing nothing about the hidden part of the Torah? It was simply impossible. Therefore, every sane Jew had to go to the yeshiva in Lubavitch, which was the center of Chabad Hasidism, and make up for what he lacked.
It is not surprising that he decided to go to Lubavitch. When he remembers those days when he studied in Lubavitch, he associates them with the most beautiful and most interesting periods of his youth and even many subsequent years. This city was forever imprinted in his mind as a wonderful idyll.
During his years, the Lubavitch Yeshiva was located in the small town of Lubavitch. Every boy who wanted to join the hidden light of Chabad within the walls of the yeshiva went there. If they said “Lubavitch,” they meant this city. The only exception was the city of Shchedrin, where several dozen boys studied under the guidance of selected teachers until they reached the level of independent study in the large hall of the yeshiva in Lubavitch under the supervision and guidance of the person in charge of the educational process - the “mashgiach” (in those years it was Yosuke Rogachover). Mashgiach Yoske walked back and forth along the platform built on the eastern side of the hall, and watched hundreds of boys, each of whom sat in his usual place, while he himself hummed some nigun in a whisper and taught the Talmud. Only when a difficult topic arose,
What is this Lubavitcher Hasidism, which to this day [the book was written in 1973] remains a self-sufficient entity that is active and stimulating, creating and influencing in many places, even those we have not heard of before, for example in North Africa, USA, South America and Africa? An outstanding embodiment of this is the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who lives in Brooklyn. He heads an entire empire, and his influence extends to every corner of the globe where there are Jewish communities.
His rulings are recognized by his Hasidim and followers as being the word of the living G-d. What causes this?
There are many reasons, but the main one is the teaching of this branch of Hasidism, which speaks directly to the heart, and especially to the heart of the younger generation, which encourages the Jew to take refuge under its wing.
Hospitality
As already mentioned, the name Lubavitch has always been a kind of mysterious beacon that shone in the distance and radiated a constant force of attraction. When Lazar was still a boy, his father often told him about what a wonderful yeshiva there was. His friend Zalman Klampert, who lived in a village near the Dolinsk railway station, which was only a few kilometers from Sagaydak, also told him wonderful things about the Lubavitch yeshiva. His father was very close to the Rebbe.
The town of Lubavitch, which was well known throughout the Jewish world in Russia and beyond, was simply a small town with a few narrow unpaved streets. During the rainy season they became impassable. It was inhabited mainly by Jews who received help from the yeshiva or from the Rebbe’s entourage. Boys and young men visited every Jewish home. Wealthier Hasidim were often charged exorbitant fees for every small service or cup of tea. It is worth noting that only a few Jews in the city could easily maintain their position by hosting boys...
Lazar recalls that when he studied in Lubavitch, immediately after the appearance of a boy or man in the reception room of the Rebbe, r. Yehuda, the “responsible for organizing the meeting,” had a hasty conversation with the guest, checked on him and determined where to send him.
On his life's journey, he visited many yeshivas, in addition to those in which he himself studied, and did not find one that contained true Jewish spirituality, such as love for others, good moral qualities, treating people as people, willingness to help others at any time, the desire for peace between people would have been developed in the same way as in the Lubavitch Yeshiva during the period when he studied there.
The curriculum and teaching approaches that lead to the main goal were completely different from those of other yeshivas. In other yeshivas, students' aspirations were to become proficient in the Talmud and become rabbis or Torah scholars. In Lubavitch they devoted many hours to both the hidden and revealed portions of the Torah. In addition to studying the Talmud, they studied chapters from the book of Tanya and Hasidic treatises from manuscripts belonging to the greatest heads of Chabad, such as Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Alter Rebbe), the Tzemach Tzedek Rebbe, and the MAARASH Rebbe.
When Lazar asked one of his students a question why he came to Lubavitch, he answered: “First of all, I want to be a good person and a Chabad student.” Chabadnik does not only mean “Chochma, Bina and Daat.” The real meaning of this word is that it is a good Jew and a person with good Jewish moral qualities and feelings, who is imbued with love for fellow Jews. Most of the students wanted to be businessmen and disseminators of the Chabad teachings. Only a few people wanted to perform functions in the communities, such as butcher, etc. They received approval from the Rebbe, who saw the need to raise a generation of teachers, mentors and community leaders faithful to Chabad.
The teachers there were also more friendly than the teachers and mentors at other yeshivas. Periodically, they organized feasts [farbrengens] timed to coincide with some Hasidic events, for example, the 19th of Kislev - the day of the release of the Alter Rebbe from St. Petersburg prison, as well as the half-day of the soul of the Baal Shem Tov...
Everyone participated in these meetings, small and large, rabbis and students, poor and rich. Everyone sat down at the tables, drank some wine and ate pie. The meal was not lavish or extremely varied, but there was always enough wine and cake for everyone. Everyone ate slowly, without pouncing on the food, and the young did not touch the treat until the older ones began to eat.
The person in charge at all these ceremonial events was R. Gronem. He was about 65 years old, slightly above average height, broad-shouldered, with a long silver beard. He had piercing eyes, one of which was much larger than the other. The students assumed it was a prosthetic eye since they had never seen him blink. He always spoke softly. I had never seen him so emotional that he raised his voice. He always began his speech or Hasidic story in a low voice. When someone said that because of a quiet voice he could not be heard, he quoted a verse that says: “The words of the sages are heard in peace,” and explained it this way: if Torah scholars express what they want to say softly, then they are “heard.” “Sit still and you will hear me.”
He told wonderful stories that happened with the Miteler Rebbe, with the Baal Shem Tov, with the Magid from Mezhirich, about how their path was shortened when they went to save seriously ill people, how Rabbi Leib the son of Sarah saved the innkeeper’s child from Satan, who had arranged he was ambushed, and how a short Friday turned into a long one for Rebbe MAARASH, so that the sun did not set while he was traveling to some city.
He spoke convincingly, with the deepest confidence and absolute faith.
In between the stories of R. Gronem stopped, took a small sip, bit off a little honey pie, swallowed it and continued to talk. He always ended the story with a Hasidic saying from one of the greatest sages of Chabad, and at the end everyone danced joyfully. These celebrations united us, young and old, into one united family.
Rabbi Moshe - "Heuser"
Among those who especially stood out was R. Moshe, who was a “hoyzer” (one who memorizes the Rebbe’s long speeches). He was very old, about 80 years old, and he had an amazing memory. [Rabbi Moshe Rosenblatt of Zembin, known as R. Moshe-“Heuser”, was a Hasid of the Rebbe MAARASH and Rebbe RASHAB, a student of the Hasid R. Abraham from Zembin. He was the spiritual leader of the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva in Lubavitch and a hozer of the Rebbe of RASHAB. He left our world in 5675 in Lubavitch].
When the Rebbe entered the yeshiva on a Friday evening... they took four long tables and arranged them in a final "mem" shape, leaving only a small open space through which the Rebbe could enter and sit in his special chair. All the young boys and chassidim who came to spend the weekend with the Rebbe stood up, preparing to receive from the Rebbe “the words of the living G-d.”
In the first row around the tables standing in the center of the large room sat R. Moshe and a group of guys with excellent memories around him, who held their hands on their ears in the shape of a funnel. The Rebbe would take out his red scarf, wrap it around his hand, and recite a Hasidic tractate. This lasted about an hour or an hour and a half. Everyone stood and listened, without moving, as if they were rooted to the floor.
When the Rebbe finished the tractate, they opened the “gate” again, and when the Rebbe turned to leave, everyone present lined up in his honor and continued to stand and look at him. Then the young guys surrounded the elderly, handsome and thin r. Moshe—he was literally skin and bones—and he repeated what the Rebbe said as if it were a sound recording. He repeated not only the idea, but also the sentences as they were spoken. From time to time, one of the outstanding young guys standing there would interrupt him and say: “The Rebbe didn’t say that, but this.” If p. If Moshe agreed with him, he would say, “That’s right,” and if he didn’t agree, he would say, “You remember incorrectly,” and then the other young guys would join in the discussion. Be that as it may, all the young guys surrounding R. Moshe had an excellent memory. R. Moshe, however, remembered them better than all of them,
On Saturday evening, after sleep, some young guys prayed at a hasty pace and gathered again in a special room near the river. Moshe to repeat the tractate again. Of course, now it was easier than the first time.
Rabbi Abraham of Liadi
Lazar brings R. Abraham from Liadi [Abraham Fradkin] in this book not because of his personality or spiritual growth, but for a completely different reason. He was the most outstanding dancer among the city's Hasidim. He was a temperamental Hasid, very thin, of average height, with a noble beard, not very long and half gray. He lived, rejoiced and received energy from Hasidic holidays, past or upcoming. Everyday life for him was a rest from the holidays, either from past joy-filled days, or preparation and craving for the upcoming holidays.
When the holidays came and the Chabad Hasidim became joyful after drinking wine after the evening meal [on Friday and holiday evenings], they gathered in a large room and began to sing, and ended with dancing. Then it was R.'s turn. Abraham from Liadi. He danced alone or with young guys with extraordinary spiritual enthusiasm.
It mixed enthusiasm, “dvekut” (a state of deep unity with the Creator) and “itpaalut” (a state of absolute pleasure). He danced for hours to the singing of the young boys and their rhythmic applause. Lazar remembered him jumping and sweat streaming down his face and body. His black clothes were soaked through, as if he had just been caught in a stream of water. His eyes were partially closed, and he whispered to himself some words from the Talmud or the teachings of Hasidism, dancing and whispering. He danced tirelessly.
When young guys saw that he was starting to get tired of nigunim, they started a new nigunim, which was called “four worlds.” Hasidim believe that there are four worlds, which mean Assiya, Beria, Yetzirah, Atzilut. The person must climb the stairs. On the ladder, Assiya is the lowest rung, and Atzilut is the highest.
This song with the four worlds had a certain nigun that matched the words and content. Lazar writes that he does not know whether this nigun is known today, since, from the beginning of the First World War to the Holocaust of the last world war, Chabad underwent many transformations, and it is possible that much was lost. Therefore, he brings this nigun [there is a photocopy of the notes in the book].
There was another nigun that they, the yeshiva students, sang while studying the Talmud, especially when they reached the end of some difficult topic to understand, plunged into its depths and emerged victorious. They ended with this nigun [which Mr. Lazar called “Nigun of the Topic from the Talmud”].
There was another song taken from Qohelet. This song or nigun is explained as follows: What advantage does a person have in all his affairs? The answer is that it must work under the sun. Obviously, this is not just about work, but about working on the Torah.
[These three niguns were so important to the author that he worked with composer Moshe Bik to write the notes for them].
Published: 09/05/2023
Source: https://moshiach.ru/books/maisa/23422.html
When he remembers those days when he studied in Lubavitch, he associates them with the most beautiful and most interesting periods of his youth and even many subsequent years.
Source: Beit Moshiach magazine
short biography
Mordechai Lazar studied at the yeshiva in Kremenchug, into which he was accepted by Hasid and Rabbi Yitzchak-Yoel Rafaelovich, an outstanding Chabad rabbi. Thanks to him, Lazar became increasingly interested in Chabad until he went to Lubavitch to study at Tomchei Tmimim.
After admission, he began studying at the yeshiva branch in Shchedrin, and later studied for several months in Lubavitch. From there he went on to find his purpose in life.
He subsequently made aliyah and lived in Haifa, where he was engaged in the leather and shoe business. He subsequently became a member of the left wing of the Mapai party and was active in this movement.
He wrote his memoirs more than fifty years after the events described:
I remembered Rebbe RASHAB well enough to tell a little about him. He had reddish hair, his head and beard burned with fire [when he delivered a Hasidic tractate]. He was of average height, broad-shouldered. His speeches were striking in that it seemed that they were formulated in his deep thoughts at the moment when he uttered them. He started out quietly, so that even those standing next to him had difficulty hearing him, but then his voice became stronger and everyone could hear him. He always spoke briefly and was always serious.
He says that sometimes the Rebbe joked, and gives one story as an illustration:
It is said that rabbinical representatives were invited to a meeting with Stolypin (1862-1911), who was the Minister of the Interior, to ask him to repeal certain laws directed against the Jews. Among them were Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk, a world-famous Torah scholar, the Lubavitcher Rebbe [RASHAB], and a famous government-appointed rabbi, Vladimir Tiomkin of Elizavetgrad (now Kirovograd), who was not a great Torah scholar, but was one of the most famous speakers in Jewish world, as well as an ardent Zionist.
It was on the eve of Passover, and rumors began to spread that Jews were allegedly adding the blood of Christians to the matzah. Each of these three representatives wanted to take this opportunity to explain to the Minister and convince him that there was absolutely no truth in these false accusations.
The meeting took place in St. Petersburg and lasted half an hour. Stolypin wanted to end the meeting as quickly as possible. He shook hands with Temkin, then with Rebbe RASHAB, and apparently paid no attention to Rabbi Chaim of Brisk. When all three left Stolypin, the Rebbe wanted to console him for having been treated so rudely, and jokingly said: “Brisker Rav, do not be upset that the minister also did not support your hand. Passover is approaching and the Haggadah says directly: “Davar aher - byad chazaka shtayim,” i.e. when "davar acher" (in the Talmudic era, the euphemism "davar acher" (literally "another thing" was often used instead of the word "pig") stretches out his strong hand, he does it only for two, not for three. " Everyone laughed and continued own way.
Rebbe RASHAB... was constantly immersed in the study of the hidden part of the Torah. Dedicated to his duty, he prepared for a speech on Friday evening or corresponded with the leaders of the Lubavitcher communities, as well as with those who were not Chabad Hasidim, regarding various community issues. He appealed to them with a request to influence those Jews who were directly connected with the enlightened pagans and the king's ministers, so that the king would lift the restrictions or soften the evil decrees against us.
Ordinary people loved him. Rebbe RASHAB did not care about such insignificant things as decorating a house with expensive silver and gold items, or a carriage and horses, or expensive clothes, silk robes, or creating the image of a Jewish king, as some leaders of the Hasidic movements did in Poland, Galicia and the south Russia, especially in later years.
Rebbe RASHAB was fully involved in important matters, in the dissemination of the teachings of Chabad, in the expansion of houses of learning and yeshivas, the crown of which was the yeshiva in Lubavitch, which produced experts and Jews who had knowledge in the open ("nigle") and hidden ("nistar") parts Torah. He sent rabbis, rezniks, Torah readers, chazanim and teachers to the communities who had a positive reputation in the Jewish world. Those whom the Rebbe sent were fully aware of their role in life and responsibility to their communities.
All of them carried out an important mission, perhaps the most important in communal life in Russia, at a time when difficulties multiplied every day. The main source of hope was faith in the future of the people and the speedy onset of Liberation. Lubavitcher boys and men had an outstanding love for the Jewish people, decency, dignified behavior, good manners, dedication to the spread of the Torah... And it is not surprising that from this family comes the President of Israel, Mr. Zalman Shazar, also a descendant of the Schneerson line, in which the Torah, the Torah, were surprisingly harmoniously combined. the greatness and nobility of a true Jew, and of which we are all proud.
"The True Schneerson"
Concluding his description of the Rebbe RASHAB, Lazar writes that the Rebbe RASHAB had an only son, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson (Rebbe RAYATZ), who in turn had daughters. According to him, after the holy soul of the Rebbe of RAYATZ left this world, “the leadership of Chabad passed to his relative, a very talented man, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, although he has neither sons nor daughters. I met him in New York, in Brooklyn. He is a pleasant person with true Schneerson manners. He continues to develop the Chabad network with great success... in accordance with the approach and traditions of the Chabad movement.”
Amazing idyll
Let's go back to Mr. Lazar's youth, to what prompted him to enroll in the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva. When he was in Kremenchug, he often heard talk about the famous yeshivas in Lithuania and Reizin, such as Volozhin and Telšiai. However, among the more God-fearing guys, among those who never said prayers in a hurry and never skipped a dip in the mikvah before prayer, they constantly praised the Lubavitch Yeshiva, where, in their opinion, they combined the revealed and hidden parts of the Torah, and it produced impeccable, complete of people. They said that in any yeshiva where the book of Tanya and the hidden part of the Torah are not taught, the students comprehend only half of the Torah.
And in general, how could a Torah scholar get enough of the Talmud and the works of Jewish teachers of the law, knowing nothing about the hidden part of the Torah? It was simply impossible. Therefore, every sane Jew had to go to the yeshiva in Lubavitch, which was the center of Chabad Hasidism, and make up for what he lacked.
It is not surprising that he decided to go to Lubavitch. When he remembers those days when he studied in Lubavitch, he associates them with the most beautiful and most interesting periods of his youth and even many subsequent years. This city was forever imprinted in his mind as a wonderful idyll.
During his years, the Lubavitch Yeshiva was located in the small town of Lubavitch. Every boy who wanted to join the hidden light of Chabad within the walls of the yeshiva went there. If they said “Lubavitch,” they meant this city. The only exception was the city of Shchedrin, where several dozen boys studied under the guidance of selected teachers until they reached the level of independent study in the large hall of the yeshiva in Lubavitch under the supervision and guidance of the person in charge of the educational process - the “mashgiach” (in those years it was Yosuke Rogachover). Mashgiach Yoske walked back and forth along the platform built on the eastern side of the hall, and watched hundreds of boys, each of whom sat in his usual place, while he himself hummed some nigun in a whisper and taught the Talmud. Only when a difficult topic arose,
What is this Lubavitcher Hasidism, which to this day [the book was written in 1973] remains a self-sufficient entity that is active and stimulating, creating and influencing in many places, even those we have not heard of before, for example in North Africa, USA, South America and Africa? An outstanding embodiment of this is the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who lives in Brooklyn. He heads an entire empire, and his influence extends to every corner of the globe where there are Jewish communities.
His rulings are recognized by his Hasidim and followers as being the word of the living G-d. What causes this?
There are many reasons, but the main one is the teaching of this branch of Hasidism, which speaks directly to the heart, and especially to the heart of the younger generation, which encourages the Jew to take refuge under its wing.
Hospitality
As already mentioned, the name Lubavitch has always been a kind of mysterious beacon that shone in the distance and radiated a constant force of attraction. When Lazar was still a boy, his father often told him about what a wonderful yeshiva there was. His friend Zalman Klampert, who lived in a village near the Dolinsk railway station, which was only a few kilometers from Sagaydak, also told him wonderful things about the Lubavitch yeshiva. His father was very close to the Rebbe.
The town of Lubavitch, which was well known throughout the Jewish world in Russia and beyond, was simply a small town with a few narrow unpaved streets. During the rainy season they became impassable. It was inhabited mainly by Jews who received help from the yeshiva or from the Rebbe’s entourage. Boys and young men visited every Jewish home. Wealthier Hasidim were often charged exorbitant fees for every small service or cup of tea. It is worth noting that only a few Jews in the city could easily maintain their position by hosting boys...
Lazar recalls that when he studied in Lubavitch, immediately after the appearance of a boy or man in the reception room of the Rebbe, r. Yehuda, the “responsible for organizing the meeting,” had a hasty conversation with the guest, checked on him and determined where to send him.
On his life's journey, he visited many yeshivas, in addition to those in which he himself studied, and did not find one that contained true Jewish spirituality, such as love for others, good moral qualities, treating people as people, willingness to help others at any time, the desire for peace between people would have been developed in the same way as in the Lubavitch Yeshiva during the period when he studied there.
The curriculum and teaching approaches that lead to the main goal were completely different from those of other yeshivas. In other yeshivas, students' aspirations were to become proficient in the Talmud and become rabbis or Torah scholars. In Lubavitch they devoted many hours to both the hidden and revealed portions of the Torah. In addition to studying the Talmud, they studied chapters from the book of Tanya and Hasidic treatises from manuscripts belonging to the greatest heads of Chabad, such as Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Alter Rebbe), the Tzemach Tzedek Rebbe, and the MAARASH Rebbe.
When Lazar asked one of his students a question why he came to Lubavitch, he answered: “First of all, I want to be a good person and a Chabad student.” Chabadnik does not only mean “Chochma, Bina and Daat.” The real meaning of this word is that it is a good Jew and a person with good Jewish moral qualities and feelings, who is imbued with love for fellow Jews. Most of the students wanted to be businessmen and disseminators of the Chabad teachings. Only a few people wanted to perform functions in the communities, such as butcher, etc. They received approval from the Rebbe, who saw the need to raise a generation of teachers, mentors and community leaders faithful to Chabad.
The teachers there were also more friendly than the teachers and mentors at other yeshivas. Periodically, they organized feasts [farbrengens] timed to coincide with some Hasidic events, for example, the 19th of Kislev - the day of the release of the Alter Rebbe from St. Petersburg prison, as well as the half-day of the soul of the Baal Shem Tov...
Everyone participated in these meetings, small and large, rabbis and students, poor and rich. Everyone sat down at the tables, drank some wine and ate pie. The meal was not lavish or extremely varied, but there was always enough wine and cake for everyone. Everyone ate slowly, without pouncing on the food, and the young did not touch the treat until the older ones began to eat.
The person in charge at all these ceremonial events was R. Gronem. He was about 65 years old, slightly above average height, broad-shouldered, with a long silver beard. He had piercing eyes, one of which was much larger than the other. The students assumed it was a prosthetic eye since they had never seen him blink. He always spoke softly. I had never seen him so emotional that he raised his voice. He always began his speech or Hasidic story in a low voice. When someone said that because of a quiet voice he could not be heard, he quoted a verse that says: “The words of the sages are heard in peace,” and explained it this way: if Torah scholars express what they want to say softly, then they are “heard.” “Sit still and you will hear me.”
He told wonderful stories that happened with the Miteler Rebbe, with the Baal Shem Tov, with the Magid from Mezhirich, about how their path was shortened when they went to save seriously ill people, how Rabbi Leib the son of Sarah saved the innkeeper’s child from Satan, who had arranged he was ambushed, and how a short Friday turned into a long one for Rebbe MAARASH, so that the sun did not set while he was traveling to some city.
He spoke convincingly, with the deepest confidence and absolute faith.
In between the stories of R. Gronem stopped, took a small sip, bit off a little honey pie, swallowed it and continued to talk. He always ended the story with a Hasidic saying from one of the greatest sages of Chabad, and at the end everyone danced joyfully. These celebrations united us, young and old, into one united family.
Rabbi Moshe - "Heuser"
Among those who especially stood out was R. Moshe, who was a “hoyzer” (one who memorizes the Rebbe’s long speeches). He was very old, about 80 years old, and he had an amazing memory. [Rabbi Moshe Rosenblatt of Zembin, known as R. Moshe-“Heuser”, was a Hasid of the Rebbe MAARASH and Rebbe RASHAB, a student of the Hasid R. Abraham from Zembin. He was the spiritual leader of the Tomchei Tmimim yeshiva in Lubavitch and a hozer of the Rebbe of RASHAB. He left our world in 5675 in Lubavitch].
When the Rebbe entered the yeshiva on a Friday evening... they took four long tables and arranged them in a final "mem" shape, leaving only a small open space through which the Rebbe could enter and sit in his special chair. All the young boys and chassidim who came to spend the weekend with the Rebbe stood up, preparing to receive from the Rebbe “the words of the living G-d.”
In the first row around the tables standing in the center of the large room sat R. Moshe and a group of guys with excellent memories around him, who held their hands on their ears in the shape of a funnel. The Rebbe would take out his red scarf, wrap it around his hand, and recite a Hasidic tractate. This lasted about an hour or an hour and a half. Everyone stood and listened, without moving, as if they were rooted to the floor.
When the Rebbe finished the tractate, they opened the “gate” again, and when the Rebbe turned to leave, everyone present lined up in his honor and continued to stand and look at him. Then the young guys surrounded the elderly, handsome and thin r. Moshe—he was literally skin and bones—and he repeated what the Rebbe said as if it were a sound recording. He repeated not only the idea, but also the sentences as they were spoken. From time to time, one of the outstanding young guys standing there would interrupt him and say: “The Rebbe didn’t say that, but this.” If p. If Moshe agreed with him, he would say, “That’s right,” and if he didn’t agree, he would say, “You remember incorrectly,” and then the other young guys would join in the discussion. Be that as it may, all the young guys surrounding R. Moshe had an excellent memory. R. Moshe, however, remembered them better than all of them,
On Saturday evening, after sleep, some young guys prayed at a hasty pace and gathered again in a special room near the river. Moshe to repeat the tractate again. Of course, now it was easier than the first time.
Rabbi Abraham of Liadi
Lazar brings R. Abraham from Liadi [Abraham Fradkin] in this book not because of his personality or spiritual growth, but for a completely different reason. He was the most outstanding dancer among the city's Hasidim. He was a temperamental Hasid, very thin, of average height, with a noble beard, not very long and half gray. He lived, rejoiced and received energy from Hasidic holidays, past or upcoming. Everyday life for him was a rest from the holidays, either from past joy-filled days, or preparation and craving for the upcoming holidays.
When the holidays came and the Chabad Hasidim became joyful after drinking wine after the evening meal [on Friday and holiday evenings], they gathered in a large room and began to sing, and ended with dancing. Then it was R.'s turn. Abraham from Liadi. He danced alone or with young guys with extraordinary spiritual enthusiasm.
It mixed enthusiasm, “dvekut” (a state of deep unity with the Creator) and “itpaalut” (a state of absolute pleasure). He danced for hours to the singing of the young boys and their rhythmic applause. Lazar remembered him jumping and sweat streaming down his face and body. His black clothes were soaked through, as if he had just been caught in a stream of water. His eyes were partially closed, and he whispered to himself some words from the Talmud or the teachings of Hasidism, dancing and whispering. He danced tirelessly.
When young guys saw that he was starting to get tired of nigunim, they started a new nigunim, which was called “four worlds.” Hasidim believe that there are four worlds, which mean Assiya, Beria, Yetzirah, Atzilut. The person must climb the stairs. On the ladder, Assiya is the lowest rung, and Atzilut is the highest.
This song with the four worlds had a certain nigun that matched the words and content. Lazar writes that he does not know whether this nigun is known today, since, from the beginning of the First World War to the Holocaust of the last world war, Chabad underwent many transformations, and it is possible that much was lost. Therefore, he brings this nigun [there is a photocopy of the notes in the book].
There was another nigun that they, the yeshiva students, sang while studying the Talmud, especially when they reached the end of some difficult topic to understand, plunged into its depths and emerged victorious. They ended with this nigun [which Mr. Lazar called “Nigun of the Topic from the Talmud”].
There was another song taken from Qohelet. This song or nigun is explained as follows: What advantage does a person have in all his affairs? The answer is that it must work under the sun. Obviously, this is not just about work, but about working on the Torah.
[These three niguns were so important to the author that he worked with composer Moshe Bik to write the notes for them].
Published: 09/05/2023